This invention relates to gaming systems, and more particularly relates to processing and communication of data related to progressive jackpots calculated by such systems.
A large gaming casino typically employs thousands of gaming machines that can be operated simultaneously. These gaming machines can be used to simultaneously play multiple games using multiple progressive jackpots as rewards. For example, a first group of users simultaneously may be playing a first group of gaming machines employing a first progressive jackpot at multiple gaming facilities, while a second group of users simultaneously may be playing a second group of gaming machines employing a second progressive jackpot at the multiple facilities. Typically, the gaming machines include jackpot meters that generate jackpot data used to calculate the progressive jackpots. The jackpot data is transmitted from each gaming machine and each gaming location to a progressive jackpot server at a remote location, which may receive a large amount of data, including jackpot data, during a short time period. Experience has shown that the data may be lost due to network congestion or to inadequate processing speed to accommodate the large volume of data. In addition, in the past, each progressive jackpot has required a separate link and separate communication line from a gaming facility to the remote location. This results in addition expense to install and maintain the multiple links and communication lines.
Gaming facilities in different locations are increasingly owned by a single legal entity, such as a corporation. There is expected to be a demand for a first group of progressive jackpots based on play of progressive gaming machines located in many, if not all, facilities owned by a single corporation, and demand for a second group of progressive jackpots based on play of progressive gaming machines located in a single one of the commonly-owned gaming facilities. In addition, there is expected to be a demand for progressive games that enable play of a progressive game on gaming machines owned by multiple corporations at multiple gaming facilities. Providing progressive jackpots for these various arrangements' presents problems solved by at least one embodiment of the present invention.
One system for calculating progressive jackpots based on data from multiple gaming facilities is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,766,076 (Pease et al, issued Jun. 16, 1998, the '076 patent”). That system includes a processor 138 that aggregates contributions to a progressive jackpot and maintains a current database of gaming machines 108. Data from processor 138 is sent to a central computer system 106 via modems and a network. Other casinos 165 also are connected to the central computer system 106 via a network. Central system 106 does jackpot calculations based on data received from the casinos. However, there appears to be no teaching or suggestion in the '076 patent for transmitting data for multiple progressive jackpots or links over a single communication network. There also appears to be no teaching or suggestion for accommodating progressive jackpots based on machines owned by different corporations.
Another gaming system for calculating a progressive jackpot also is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 6,203,010 (Jorasch et al., issued Mar. 20, 2001). This patent also appears to contain no teaching or suggestion for transmitting data for multiple progressive jackpots or links over a single communication network. There also appears to be no teaching or suggestion for accommodating progressive jackpots based on machines owned by different corporations.
Another system for handling progressive jackpots is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,752,882 (Acres et al., issue May 19, 1998). As shown in FIGS. 1 and 30, meter information from games is stored locally in floor controllers 18 and 28 before being sent to a file server 32 over an Ethernet network 38 (Col. 2, lines 62-65; Col. 32, lines 40-55). According to Col. 36, lines 16-36, any number of gaming machines on the network can be combined in a common progressive jackpot. A jackpot processing terminal 36 is connected to the network (FIG. 1). The number of progressive jackpots is said not to be limited by the number of floor controllers since one floor controller can manage more than one progressive jackpot. However, the patent does not describe how this objective could be achieved. As shown in FIGS. 1, 29 and 30, a game can request data from the file server 32. The data retrieved from the file server is stored in an outgoing message queue of the floor controller before being sent to a game (Col. 33, lines 47-63). A players name and points are displayed on a vacuum fluorescent display 102 (FIG. 8; Col. 15, line 38-Col. 16, line 30; Col. 26, lines 63-66). There also appears to be no teaching or suggestion for accommodating progressive jackpots based on machines owned by different corporations.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,885,158 (Torango et al.) describes a gaming system for multiple progressive games. According to FIGS. 1A and 1B, gaming machines may be located in different retail locations, such as casinos or regions or portions of casinos (Col. 4, lines 35-40). The gaming machines are arranged to play different progressive games 134a, 134b, and 134c. The machines for game 134b span locations 110a and 110b. The machines for game 134c also are included in the machines for game 134b. Communication lines 132a, 132b, and 132c transmit data to a central system 112, and at least one of the lines carries partial data for calculating more than one progressive jackpot. However, the Torango et al. system does not provide for transmission of data from multiple locations that contribute to multiple progressive jackpots common to those locations.
None of the foregoing patents effectively addresses the problem of reducing the number of communication networks between gaming facilities in different locations that use a common jackpot facility for calculating progressive jackpots played at the gaming facilities, and none addressed the problem of accommodating progressive jackpots based on machines owned by different corporations. The present invention addresses the foregoing problem and provides solutions.